Inter/Transgenerational Effects of Drugs of Abuse: A Scoping Review

Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder that makes it a global problem. Genetics and environmental factors are the two most important factors that make someone vulnerable to drug addiction. Investigations in the past decade highlighted the role of epigenetics in the inter/transgenerational inheritance of drug addiction. A growing body of evidence showed that parental (paternal, maternal, and biparental) drug exposure before conception changes the phenotype of the offspring, which is correlated with neurochemical and neurostructural changes in the brain. The current paper reviews the effects of parental (maternal, paternal, and biparental) exposure to drugs of abuse (opioids, cocaine, nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis) before gestation in animal models.

Automated summary

Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder that poses a global problem, influenced by genetics and environmental factors. Recent research has emphasized the role of epigenetics in the intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance of drug addiction. Studies have shown that parental exposure to drugs of abuse (opioids, cocaine, nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis) before conception alters offspring phenotype and impacts neurochemical and neurostructural changes in the brain. This paper reviews the effects of parental drug exposure before gestation in animal models.